New Ventures BC and the BC Innovation Council (BCIC) awarded over $300,000 to tech startups at their 15th annual awards ceremony, the BCIC-New Ventures Competition. The competition helped kick off Vancouver Startup Week.
Edvisor, an online management system for education agencies to coordinate studying abroad programs, took top prize at the BCIC-New Ventures Competition, with Ziva Dynamics, a virtual character development tool, taking second place, and Change Heroes, a video-driven platform that focuses on fundraising for millenials, taking third.
The annual competition offers mentorship, business development opportunities, and cash prizes. It’s especially known for attracting top ventures from information and communication technology, health, and clean tech sectors.
“We were impressed with the quality of submissions this year,” said New Ventures BC program manager Angie Schick. “It’s testament to the increasing sophistication and growth of the tech ecosystem in B.C. Many successful companies have come through this competition—we wish all of our winners and entrants success and look forward to seeing their continued progress.”
Edvisor received the top prize of $100,000, while Ziva Dynamics and Change Heroes received $55,000 and $37,000 respectively. Over $300,000 in prizes were awarded on the night, with eight companies in total receiving an award.